As an art teacher, I have found the most effective method of successfully teaching my students a new skill in artistic expression is demonstration!
Now I can just imagine many of you thinking – DUH! (If you have been around high school students recently you are thinking – HELLO!)
Obviously we learn best by seeing others do it the right way. We recently did a lesson on form (3-D objects) and learned to create origami forms. Many students had trouble reading the directions. They even had difficulty when I verbally told them what steps to take. Yet when they saw me or another student folding a paper crane – they were able to fold one themselves.
As parents we often want our children to obey our instructions. “Do what I say.” Are we leading by example? We want our children to tell the truth. Have they heard us lie on the phone? Do we say to our child, “Don’t tell your dad I bought you a donut today. I don’t want him know”. We are setting an example of hiding information. It may not seem important, but actions do speak louder than words – especially to little ears and eyes.
Romans 2: 21 (Amplified)
Well then, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you teach against stealing, do you steal ?
That is very plain. We must follow the example we desire to set for your children.
When we do something that we realize is wrong – admit it to our children. I once told a friend of our son that I didn’t know where he was when I DID know. I wanted our son to come right home and thought if the friend called him, they would go somewhere else.
I became convicted of the error of that lie and later confessed and apologized to our son’s friend. I was wrong and I needed to admit it.
We will make mistakes as parents, but God is faithful to forgive. Our goal should be to lead by example.